


pink drinks and bucket hats

by jisquish



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, M/M, i wrote in this in Actually 10 minutes, mild panic attack, seungmin has anxiety and binnie is a sweetheart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-07-03 21:39:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15827466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jisquish/pseuds/jisquish
Summary: Hyunjin is not here.This is a dilemma. This is a serious dilemma. Hyunjin needs to be here. If Hyunjin is not here, that means Seungmin is alone and alone in public and alone in a cafe where he’s expected to buy something and in order to buy something he has to talk to people and he’s alone, in public, and also he’s going to cry.(alternatively, Binnie Saves The Day)





	pink drinks and bucket hats

**Author's Note:**

> i actually wrote this a longgg time ago as a [tumblr](https://jisquish.tumblr.com) request for my dear friend tia and thought i'd post it here since i haven't posted anything in Ages and my writer's block is Bad so here's soft seungbin for all my fellow rarepair fluff fanatics <3

Seungmin has been sitting at a table in the corner for almost 15 minutes now, picking at the skin on his forearms and biting at his lip and trying very hard not to look like a nervous wreck. (He definitely looks like a nervous wreck.) This was why he had  _told_ Hyunjin that he’d much rather hang out at one of their respective apartments, or a park, or a library, or somewhere where he wouldn’t have to talk to anyone. But Hyunjin had insisted, had said that this specific place was “super cute” and that there was a friend he wanted Seungmin to meet. But he hadn’t even told Seungmin the friend’s name, so clearly  _that_  person wasn’t coming to save Seungmin either.

And when he’d first thought  _‘I’m going to cry,’_  maybe he’d been dramatizing it a little. But he can feel the barista’s eyes scraping against his neck and he knows he’s not supposed to loiter here without buying anything. He’s been staring at the blank screen of his powered-off phone for 45 seconds and his vision is starting to blur and his ribcage is pressing against all his internal organs and he feels quite certain that he’s going to implode. His heart won’t stop pounding in his ears and this is awful, this is awful  _this is awful_.

He just wants to leave. But he’s certain as soon as he stands to make a break for it, Hyunjin will appear in the doorway and he will be ushered back to a seat as he quietly complains and wipes his eyes. He can see it happening. He almost wants to stand up, move towards the exit as if somehow he can create a catalyst for a rescue, but if he stands and sits down then surely he will only look more foolish.

He feels like every eye in the small building is locked on his quietly shaking form as he hunches over the table and  _shit_ , now he is crying. Now he really can’t stand up or people will notice or, _god forbid_ , ask if he’s okay, which is the only thing worse than just being left alone. He grips his phone tighter than ever and gives a little start as his mouth suddenly floods with a coppery taste–he’d finally broken the skin on his lip. He chokes back a distressed sob as his vision starts to tunnel. His head is swimming. If he actually passes out in this table in the corner, will anyone notice? Surely the barista is still staring at him, surely she’s frustrated he has yet to purchase something, surely she’s wondering what the fuck is wrong with him and honestly Seungmin’s wondering the same thing and–

“Hey?”

For a long moment, Seungmin doesn’t register it, too focused on staring angrily at the teardrops on the wood table and gnawing at the raw skin of his lip, but then a hand comes into his line of sight and snaps. They  _snapped_  at him. And rather rudely. And the indignance, surprisingly, gives him the strength to swallow a few of the sobs and wipe his eyes frantically before looking up.

It’s a boy. He looks to be about Seungmin’s age, or maybe a little older, with a long chin and a bucket hat pushed low over dark hair. His lips are set in a confused sort of scowl, like an old man, or someone that’s just left a movie theater, and he’s definitely looking at Seungmin. Who thinks he may start crying anew.

“You… ok?” he asks, and oddly enough he doesn’t look uncomfortable, just mildly concerned. His voice is nice, kind of pinched but interesting to listen to, and he carries himself confidently. Seungmin is probably staring. (Seungmin is definitely staring.)

“I–” Seungmin starts, and cuts himself off because he can feel the shake in his voice and he knows that if he talks much louder than a whisper, he’ll start crying again, and he really doesn’t feel like doing that.

Bucket Hat Boy (god, Seungmin thought Hyunjin was the only one who still wore those) twists to look behind him at the barista, and Seungmin’s right hand flies to his left forearm, scratching nervously at the skin there with bitten-down fingernails. The boy turns back to him and sees what he’s doing, then slowly reaches out a hand to grab Seungmin’s wrist.

Seungmin stares at him, frozen. The boy’s hand is cool and soft ( _Seungmin wants to hold it_ ), and he gently, gently, pries Seungmin’s hand away. “You’ll hurt yourself,” he says roughly, and Seungmin curls his fingers into a fist with the effort not to pick. “What do you want?” the boy continues, jerking his head back at the counter, and Seungmin just shakes his head, eyes wide. The boy seems to size him up for a few more seconds, then turns on his heel and strides away.

Seungmin still feels like a deer in the headlights, even with his vision not being invaded by… That. Him. Boy. He feels himself reach for his arm again but holds himself back, fingernails digging into his palm as he stares at the wall opposite and tries desperately to calm his heart (which had not stopped thundering since the moment he entered the shop, and certainly hadn’t been calmed by… recent events).

He realises, though, that he’s not crying anymore. That’s something.

Once he finally gets a little more of a grip, he picks up his phone with shaky hands, prepared to fire off one last “where the fuck are you” text to Hyunjin and bolt, but then someone plops themselves down in the chair opposite and sets two drinks on the table.

Seungmin stiffens, protectively wrapping his arms around his torso without a second thought and staring at the person–it’s bucket hat boy again, of course–through lowered lashes as his breathing picks up again. The boy makes unwavering eye contact, so Seungmin looks away quickly, instead inspecting the drinks on the table–some sort of pink juice thing, and a light brown coffee.

“I hope you don’t take yours black,” the boy says. “You can have the juice though, too, if you’d prefer. I don’t really have a preference.”

“Why–” Seungmin manages to get out, then presses his lips together tightly, chancing another glance up. The boy is frowning, and Seungmin’s eyes widen beyond what he ever thought they were capable of as he grabs a napkin, leans forward, and tenderly wipes the remaining blood from Seungmin’s split lower lip.

He pulls away after a few seconds and crumples up the napkin. “Seo Changbin,” he says, inclining his head. “And seriously. Take a drink. I’m not leaving till you take one.”

After a few tense moments where Seungmin thinks it’s honestly quite likely that his heart will pound straight out of his chest, he clears his throat nervously and manages to say, “Kim Seungmin.”

The boy–Changbin–cracks a grin. Seungmin’s taken aback. While his resting face had been pretty, and intimidating, his smile is something else. He smiles with his whole face, nose scrunched up too and the skin around his mouth spread taut. It practically radiates sunlight. Seungmin feels dizzy again.

“How old are you, Seungmin-ssi?” Changbin asks as if he didn’t just practically give Seungmin have a heart attack.

“18,” Seungmin mumbles.

“Ah,” Changbin replies, voice moving up with the word, “then you can call me hyung.”

“We–we just met,” Seungmin pointed out.

“Mm,” Changbin says with a small smile, then grabs the handle of the glass holding the juice. “Speak now or forever hold your peace.”

Seungmin stares at him blankly. Changbin sighs, pushes the juice over to Seungmin, then takes the coffee for himself. “Drink it,” he says around the straw. “I didn’t get it just to watch the ice melt.”

Cautiously, Seungmin presses a hand against the condensation on the glass, letting the coolness soothe his still-trembling hands. When he realises that Changbin is still staring at him expectantly, he takes a small sip, surprised when it’s not quite as sickeningly sweet as he thought it might be.

“I–thank you,” he says, fiddling with the plastic cup. “Y-you really didn’t have to. Do this. I just–I get freaked out sometimes.”

“Course I did,” Changbin says easily. “I uh–I relate, anyway.” Seungmin glances up. He’s fiddling with his hands. “Wasn’t going to just leave you.”

“Well,” Seungmin says, looking down and feeling himself blush. “I just–well. Thank you.”

Changbin mumbles something that sounds like ‘cute’, but Seungmin can’t be sure. In a clearer voice, he says, “Are you here for any particular reason? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t–”

“No, it’s fine, I was waiting for my friend,” Seungmin explains in a rush. “But clearly he hasn’t showed up.”

“Hwang Hyunjin,” Changbin says, and Seungmin blinks. “Sorry?”

“Oh, is that not your friend? I thought–”

“No–that’s. That’s him. How do you know him?”

Changbin smiles again. Seungmin finds himself wishing he would just smile all the time. It’s so pleasant. “Because he told me to meet here too, I assume you were the friend he was trying to introduce me too.” He lifts a hand to scratch the back of his head, catching his bottom lip between his teeth. “I sort of guessed that when I first saw you? But I didn’t want to assume.”

“Well,” Seungmin says glumly. He’d all but forgotten that he was supposed to be pissed at Hyunjin. “That’s me. Wish he would have showed up, that would have made it a lot easier.”

“Made what easier?”

“I–I don’t know. Meeting you. I guess.”

Changbin hums in assent. Seungmin presses the back of his hand against his cheek. It’s hot.

“Do you want to get out of here?” Changbin asks after a moment, and Seungmin breathes a shaky sigh of relief. “Thank god, yes,” he says, already standing up, and Changbin giggles ( _holy fucking shit_ ) and stands up too, and oh. He’s short. He’s like. Really short.

He tears his gaze away as they move to the door and pauses outside as Changbin looks down at his phone and scowls, moving to the side to type something in a hurry.

“Bad news?” Seungmin asks, still sipping on the last of his juice, and Changbin snorts.

“It’s Hyunjin,” he says, shoving his phone back in his pocket. “He got held up. I told him we’re just leaving.”

Seungmin stares at him for a second, then breaks into a surprised laugh. With his eyes shut, he doesn’t see the startledly enamored look Changbin shoots his way, and the older boy has schooled his expression back to something neutral by the next few seconds. “What’s funny?” he asks, lips twitching.

“Nothing,” Seungmin says. “Your face.”

“Yah, what about my face, punk?” Changbin says, snarling the words out but clearly on the brink of laughter. “That’s what I thought,” he adds, when Seungmin is unable to respond through giggles. He’s feeling odd today. But not in a bad way.

“I guess I’m gonna just… head home?” Seungmin says after a few moments and feeling unsure. Changbin nods. “I’ll probably do the same. Hey, it was nice meeting you. We should hang out sometime.”

He says it so easy. How does it sound so easy? “Yeah,” Seungmin manages to stutter out. “We should.”

(and they do.)

**Author's Note:**

> come scream at me on [tumblr](https://jisquish.tumblr.com) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/jisquishh)!!
> 
> comments and kudos are really really appreciated and i hope to get chapter four of blessing wait (my skz fantasy au!! please read!) out soON ish ok i promise !! i'm also working on a 3racha 365 Fresh AU so hopefully that will also be up soon-ish <33 ilu all! 
> 
> also if u like this and are sad it's short .... which is a comment i get a lot .... i have lots of other fics posted ... feel free to check those out to fill ur fluff needs ok i promise i can do better than this mess fdkjfk


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